Found You
by Kayiza
Summary: Of all the people to run into at the ER, Sasuke absolutely did not anticipate that he'd meet the boy the haunted his past (and his dreams, more often than not). But how can he be in charge of the blond for six weeks when he feels his heart tug every time he looks at those bright blue eyes? SasuNaruSasu Ongoing AU (Tentatively T rated. Rating subject to reviews.)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is a SasuNaruSasu fic with all the lovely gay goodness it brings! This story is set in a modern AU. Also I haven't found a beta yet & I'm looking for volunteers *stares*.**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine. But after the ending, I don't think I want him, hmph! Kishi, you tease!**

 **Warnings: Cursing, Mature Situations between consenting males**

Sasuke sighed, dragging a hand down his face, as he heard the familiar tap-tap-tap, always the same three knocks pattern, before the roseate peeked in through the door. He tore his eyes from the painting on the wall behind his desk, shooting the door a quick glare, before returning his attention to the painting. He had had it in his office for so long that he didn't even remember how he got it. But something about the mute colors and gentle strokes put his mind at ease. The painting itself wasn't very special. It just showed a hooded figure leaning against a wall in the pouring rain, gazing at the sky. He gazed out of the window, frowning at the bright weather that seemed to mock him and invalidate his internal turmoil.

It had been a long day. He was tired of having to deal with so many questions, so many stupid questions. He wondered if anyone even read the newspapers anymore. Every detail about the incident was on the front page and people still had the gall to come up to him and bore him with their idiocy. Sure, he was supposed to save lives, but for a moment, he considered switching sides and killing his _obviously_ insane brother for putting him in such a position.

He needed a break. He didn't have time for this, for _her_. And her insistent tapping was getting on his nerves.

"Go away," he mentally growled.

"I'm on break, Sakura." he _didn't_ whine. He _absolutely_ didn't whine. He was above whining. But if he didn't have the self control he did, he knew he would've whined, and pushed the contents on his table onto the floor too, just for good measure.

"Dr. Uchiha," she regarded him sternly, before entering and closing the door behind her, "You know that we're short on men here ever since Itachi left to start his own hospital and took half the doctors with him."

Dark eyes raised to meet her's, rimmed with dark circles, almost as if to warn her to stop bringing it up. He had heard enough about that for a lifetime. And the most vexing part was that he didn't even know why his brother made such a decision, so abruptly, out of the blue. Well, not that abrupt. Sasuke had felt the tensions rising within his family, but he didn't know the details. But he had in no way anticipated that his brother would just throw away the Uchiha name & venture out on his own.

Sakura couldn't help but feel guilt tug at her heart at the sorry sight. Once, he had been a beautiful man, the kind that always had a mysterious, composed aura about him. He hadn't been lively or charismatic by any means. But he had always had this little spark of life in him, back when they went to the same school. And now, years later, when she coincidentally ends up meeting him again and ending up as his assistant, she could tell the spark was gone. Itachi leaving was probably the last straw. It was only a matter of time before he'd explode.

She knew she should probably let him take some rest. After all, he had been working for hours & she was certain he didn't use his breaks to catch up on his sleep. She had caught him blankly staring into space more times than she deemed healthy. An idle mind is a devil's workshop. And the devil has always had a thing for the Uchihas. She had witnessed it firsthand. Sakura was torn between comforting the Uchiha and punching the melancholia out of him.

"Is it important?" his voice sliced into her thoughts, laced with irritation, but Sakura just rolled her eyes. Years of practice made her immune to his intimidation techniques.

"Yes," she lied, ignoring the glare the raven sent her way. There was nothing important about the case. Well, nothing another doctor couldn't handle. But she wanted Sasuke moving about, doing what he loves instead of moping, or well, the Uchiha version of it. She knew he transformed into another person when he got into work. Sasuke loved nothing if not his job. A small grunt was heard before the doctor grabbed his coat and stormed out of his office.

Sakura sighed. Someday she was going to have to make Sasuke go to a therapist or soon, he'd drive her into seeking one out for herself.

-xxx-

"I'm fine, really! For fuck's sa-" an agitated voice cut into the air. And then a _thunk_ , like a hand slapping against flesh, following by a crass curse.

"Language, gaki!" a woman hollered, exasperation evident in her voice.

"But baa-chan, you know how fast I heal! This is no big deal!" the man whined in a manner that was very unbecoming for his age.

And with that, Sasuke tuned their voiced out as he walked through the corridor, the evening sun dancing across the tips of his hair as they fell in through the large windows. He halted in his tracks, realizing that he had walked a little too far. He grimaced. He was really out of it. The familiar sounds grew louder the closer he got to the emergency room and he could feel it bursting with activity. And he couldn't help the jolt of Adrenalin coursing through him at the thought of getting back to the fast paced environment. He had spent far too long answering idiots, and far too less time doing his job. He pushed the door open just in a time for a nurse to run outside as he barely managed to dodge. Another nurse with twin buns walked over to him and handed him a clipboard, motioning him to go to bed 7. He nodded in response, lithe fingers flipping through the pages of notes with other documents tucked in.

He took a deep breath and entered the curtains surrounding the bed, just in time to hear an outburst-

"BUT I WANT TO GO HOME, BAA-CHAN, THIS PLACE SMELLS LIKE A-"

Bright blue eyes met ebony as the distressed man noticed the intruder. Sasuke felt a slight tingle across his spine, his breath momentarily catching in his throat.

"- _hospital_." the blond finished lamely, lowering the fist he had raised in the air, earning a snort from the raven.

"An intelligent observation considering this _is_ a hospital." he replied in a bored tone, not even looking up from the clipboard, earning a growl from the other occupant. Oh, this was going to be a very interesting case.

"Don't mind him," he heard a woman speak, as a large bosom covered his field of vision, momentarily disorienting him. He slowly looked up to meet her gaze, which was trained on the clipboard. He cleared his throat, taking a quick step back.

"Unfortunately, he's the patient." he said mock-dejectedly, before moving towards the bedside to observe his patient, ignoring the huff he got in response. The blonde had a thick bandage covering his forehead, a small patch of blood making its presence known between his temple and the middle of his forehead. His hand was twisted at an odd angle, and Sasuke was certain that it was fractured. Dark eyes scanned the tanned (and quite toned, Sasuke noted) torso, moving lower only to have his observations halted as the blonde threw an obnoxiously orange hoodie to cover his body, dark blue eyes glaring at the impassive doctor.

"There's nothing to look at, doc," Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the nickname as the blond moved to dress up, ignoring the woman's protests, "So you can just send me home and go on your merry way!"

Sasuke regarded him for a moment. He could just leave. Nobody would be able to stop him. In fact, the blond wanted him out. But there was something about him that made Sasuke want to stand his ground and watch him throw a tantrum. It was as amusing as it was annoying.

"No. You see," Sasuke paused to look at the name on the clipboard, before nearly dropping it in shock, his aristocratic features paling in horror.

" _Naruto Uzumaki_ ," he mumbled, a flurry of memories knocking the wind out of him. He had spent so long trying to block them out, trying to pretend they don't exist. It was bad enough when he met Sakura. And now, it was this idiot, this one moron who could have ruined everything.

Naruto.

 ** _A love note crumpled on the floor, a flash of pink running and disappearing into the crowd. Angry blue eyes boring into his, a fist crumpling the front of his shirt. Whispering sounds in the hallways.  
"Stop acting so high and mighty and apologize to her, teme!"_**

You moron.

 ** _Dirty bandages litter the bathroom floor, blood trailing down a tanned arm. Trusting blue eyes lock on his, crinkling with the force of a blinding smile, the first one directed at the raven.  
"Aww, Sasuke, you're human after al- Ouch! You fucking bastard, you did that on purpose!"_**

What did you do this time?

 ** _Grey skies pouring down hell on the earth, slapping against the tarmac, water blending with the rivers from teary blue eyes. A voice gone hoarse from screaming the same name again and again.  
"Sasuke, don't you fucking walk away from me, you coward!"_**

You're the one telling me to leave now, dobe.

 ** _Blue eyes with a hint of grey, a sad smile on tan lips, sad enough to break his heart if he had one. Fists clenching and shoulders quivering. A cracked voice, shaky from strain.  
"Maybe I am a moron for wanting to be friends with a prick like you."_**

But we're strangers now, ne?

 ** _Blue eyes full of understanding that he didn't deserve. An accepting smile on his lips. An outstretched tan hand that was never shaken, never held.  
"Maybe someday I'll see you again and you won't hate me so much."_**

Naruto.

 ** _The back of a blond mane, a voice full of finality saying the words he never expected to hear. A soft admittance of defeat he never believed would come. The vacancy he had thought relief would fill.  
"Sasuke... Goodbye."_**

"-to the doctor. Earth to the doctor. EARTH TO THE DOCTOR!" Sasuke almost jumped in surprise, blinking in confusion. The exhaustion and overwhelming nostalgia was getting to him. The sooner he treated the blond and got rid of him, the better. He didn't want to risk being recognized. No, his life was already far too unstable without the no-good-blond messing up things again. Slipping into his impassive mask, he quickly scanned the man beneath him, noting the bruise on his left side, before opening the file and skimming through the contents.

"Sports injury...broken ribs...broken arm...trauma to the head..." Sasuke recited under his breath, lifting his gaze to the blond, who was looking at him expectantly. Sasuke felt half-hurt and half-relieved that Naruto didn't recognize him. It would make his job a lot easier. But he felt it wasn't fair that he had to be the only one who knew the truth. It had been ten years. For all he knew, Naruto could have forgotten him. He was Naruto's first friend, but he had seen the boy make many more. He had to pull himself together and stop being so paranoid. He was a professional. And he was going to do his damn best to act like one, and not ever a blond moron from his past could deter him.

"Mr. Uzumaki," the name left an odd taste on his tongue, "You have two fractured ribs, a fractured arm and a head injury. I'm afraid you won't be going home anytime soon."

The blond's face fell and for a moment it reminded Sasuke of a ten years younger version looking at him with the same devastated expression on his face, and that almost cracked his mask. Almost. The big-breasted woman gave Naruto a pitying glance.

"H-how long?" he gulped, making Sasuke smirk. It was amusing how less Naruto had changed in a decade. He still looked like a child getting a shot. Not that he looked like a child. Sasuke hadn't missed the well toned abdominal muscles, and considering how Naruto was in for a sport injury, it wasn't hard to put two and two together. Naruto was definitely a sports player or an athlete, he deduced. The finding made him a little sad. Back in school Naruto had always been going on about how he'd be a great artist like his uncle someday. He didn't like knowing that in the past ten years Naruto had changed, and that he no longer knew the exact buttons to push for the reactions he wanted.

"At least six weeks." the woman replied before he could, before throwing him a smile, "I'm Dr. Tsunade Senju. Been a while since I've retired, though."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow in response. She didn't look old enough to call herself "retired" in the first place. But with all the advancements in the field of cosmetic surgery, who knows? She could've been seventy for all he knew even if she didn't look a day older than thirty five.

"That is corre-"

"SIX FUCKING WEEKS? With doctor doom and the hospital of gloom? All alone?" the blond sneered, wincing as he moved his arm, "Have you gone senile, baa-chan!?"

Sasuke didn't know what was louder, the blond's scream upon being cuffed in the head by Tsunade, or his own voice screaming in his head at the realization.

He was screwed.

 **A/N: Do you guys think Naruto really doesn't remember? And why is Sasuke haunted by him? Stay tuned to find out :D**

 **Review, please? This is my first SNS multi-chapter fic & I'd like to know your opinion :) Also if you're confused, don't worry, the following chapters will clear everything up! **

**Also if anyone's up for beta-ing, I'd love to hear from you :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm happy with the response this story got so here's a quick new update! I've dropped a lot of hints for the careful eye. Also, I still don't have a beta and I wrote this at three in the morning so be a little forgiving when you notice the I have erred.**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine and all that jazz.**

The door locked with a click, and Sasuke slid to the floor as soon as he entered the sanctuary of his apartment. The past few days' weariness was catching up to him. He would've been okay with sleeping in the hospital but the unwarranted encounter with a certain blond left him craving for some proper rest.

He didn't know how long he sat there, on the hard granite, staring into space. He was just very drained and excited at the same time and that was a combination that always resulted in restlessness. He couldn't afford another sleepless night.

He got to his feet and walked to the bathroom in a what anyone else would still consider a graceful motion, but to him it felt more like trudging. Ivory palms clenched around the sink as dark rimmed eyes stared back at him from the mirror. His skin was paler than usual, and his hair looked greasy. No wonder Naruto couldn't recognize him, he thought grimly. But he was still surprised that Naruto did know who he was. Naruto's face was _ingrained_ in his mind and the only reason he didn't recognize him right away was because he was tired, and because Naruto looked pretty different with half his face swollen. But he had gone years without remembering him. One could even say he almost forgot him.

And then _this_ had to happen.

The relief of not being discovered was quickly turning into resentment. Did he not mean enough to Naruto to be remembered? Was Sasuke just a bad incident of his past that was better off forgotten? Or did Naruto remember him but chose to treat him like a stranger? That was a plausible explanation. He knew he deserved it, even if he didn't regret what he had done.

Sasuke didn't know which one was worse.

"Stop thinking about him," he berated himself, opening the faucet and splashing some water on his face, as if that would wash the blond out of his thoughts. He wished he could talk to Itachi about it, but he wasn't mentally ready to deal with him. He didn't trust anyone else enough to talk about it either. He was caught between a rock and a hard place.

It's going to be one of those nights, he thought numbly, before opening the medicine cabinet and pulling out a vial of sleeping pills.

He dreamed of blue eyes and grey skies for the first time in years.

-xxx-

" _Sakura_?" he blinked in confusion as her name displayed as the caller ID. It was only six in the morning, the alarm clock displayed, and he knew it wasn't a work related call, because then she would have paged him. A chill of foreboding crept up his spine.

"Sakura, what is it?" his voice laced with a hint of concern as he heard sobbing at the other end of the line.

"Mother called me last night… Tou-san's getting _worse_ , Sasuke. Sometime he doesn't even recognize her," she choked back a sob, "Y-you should have heard her, Sasuke… I've never heard her sound so _broken_. She…"

Sasuke closed his eyes and sighed. He wondered if Sakura knew how broken she sounded. He didn't like it. He was so used to her cheerful voice balancing out the deadpan of his own. He knew she was feeling particularly emotional from the way she let her mother tongue slip in. He hated the _rawness_ in her voice.

She was one of the few people he had grown to care for. He was one of the first people she contacted when she found out that her father was acting a little strange. The man was very understanding and his kind eyes always made Sasuke feel welcome at their home.

"Sakura…" he sighed, "Take as long as you need. Call me if you need anything."

Comforting wasn't his strong suit, and he knew she'd understand if he didn't say more. He heard a sniffle, along with the rustling sounds of clothes as she packed her bags.

"My previous employ- my _mentor_ is coming with me. Apparently kaa-san called her first so… yeah, I'll be okay. I think." she paused for a moment, deep in thought, "Everything will be okay. Shishou has a lot of experience in this field. Everything will turn out to be _okay_."

It sounded like she was reassuring herself, more than anything. For once, the raven could empathize with her. He could tell she was in a lot of pain.

"Hn," the Uchiha didn't know how to respond to the hope in her voice. Alzheimer's wasn't the kind of illness that just turned out "okay".

"Arigatou, Sasuke-kun." he heard a soft whisper, before the line went dead.

It took Sasuke a minute to take the phone off his ears. There was no way he could go back to sleep after what had just happened. He needed to get to the hospital and immerse himself in work.

Why did shit have to hit the roof all at once?

-xxx-

"D-doctor Uchiha?" A soft voice cut through his thoughts, making his fingers pause on the door handle. He raised a delicate eyebrow at the pale-eyed nurse.

"Hn?"

The girl blushed slightly, but didn't break eye contact.

"I'm Hinata Hyuga. Sakura t-told me to cover for her for the n-next two weeks," she explained, holding out a file to the raven, "Y-you've been assigned two new patients."

Sasuke stared at her dumbly. Even while going through _such_ turmoil Sakura was thinking about her work. He made a note to appreciate her for it when he saw her again. Sakura was nothing if not dedicated and efficient. He was going to have a hard time if Hinata wasn't as good an assistant as she was.

"Thank you." the Uchiha nodded, taking the file and disappearing to his office.

He took a moment to glance at the painting, before sitting on his chair and opening the file.

"Kankuro Sabaku… Multiple leg injuries… to be transferred from the general ward to a private room by 2 pm." he read under his breath, before turning the page and freezing in his tracks.

It was so _clichéd_ that his luck would be so messed up. But then again, he was the attending doctor, so had sort of seen it coming. He wasn't going to spend another day cursing his fate. He was going to do what he always did, suck it up and do what needs to be done.

-xxx-

"Umm, miss… my legs are fine. I don't _need_ a wheel chair. It, uh… makes me look like an invalid." he heard a familiar voice, followed by a nervous chuckle.

Sasuke caught the blond with an exasperated nurse in the hallway. Tenten shot him a desperate look. The woman that accompanied him was nowhere to be seen. Even though the blond seemed to be a little quieter than he had been the previous day, he was still, well, a brat. Sasuke could feel his eye twitch in irritation as he walked over to the other.

"Idiot, get back in the chair and let us grown ups do our jobs."

Naruto visibly bristled and shot the raven a scathing look. Sasuke simply brushed it off dismissively. As if that moron's glare was even half as scary as an Uchiha's. He had no idea who he was dealing with.

"I am twenty-six, bastard! It's all _your_ fault I'm stuck here in the first place!" the blond hollered, before clutching his side and making a slight choking sound as he collapsed onto the wheelchair. The brunette quickly helped reposition him to a pose that won't make his injuries hurt more than they already did.

"Not so tough now, are we?" Sasuke smirked, as Tenten shot him an appalled look. He couldn't help it. When it came to Naruto, he never really could hold himself back. Having a civilized conversation with the blond was a rare event.

"Sh-shut up, asshole." Naruto gritted through his teeth, a mild shade of pink dusting his cheeks in embarrassment. Tenten giggled, before pushing the wheelchair down the hallway as Sasuke walked alongside her.

Naruto craned his neck to look at the Uchiha, a pout forming on his lips as his eyes narrowed. Sasuke simply stared back, impassively, one thin eyebrow arched in response.

"Why are you following me?" Naruto asked after what felt like an eternity. Sasuke rolled his eyes and snorted.

"Your case has been assigned to me," the raven smirked at the comical look of _horror_ dawning on the blond's visage, "I'm just as happy about it as you are."

Tenten shook her head in disapproval, brown eyes twinkling in amusement, "Naruto, we're here. And Dr. Uchiha, _please_ wait outside. I'd like to get him settled in ASAP and I don't have time for… whatever it is that you're doing."

Sasuke merely shrugged and leaned against the wall near the door, opening the file to take a moment to look at the x-rays and test results. If he was going to go through hell, he might as well play with the devil.

-xxx-

"So…what's the procedure to get assigned to another doctor?" Naruto deadpanned as soon as the door clicked shut.

"You can't unless you've got a real complaint with his way of treating you… _medically_." Tenten replied with a shrug as she pushed the wheelchair towards the bed, "Get on the bed."

Naruto obliged, wincing slightly as he stood up a little too quickly, before lying down on the bed. It was pretty awkward with the huge cast on his arm. Tenten placed his arm on a spare pillow.

"Oh, then I guess I'll get a new doctor soon enough." he replied, half smug, half hopeful. But he wasn't really sure he wanted the Uchiha gone either. He was going to stay for six weeks and the banter made time pass a little faster. But it was also aggravating. He wanted to punch the stupid smirk off the raven's face.

Tenten ignored him as she proceeded to adjust the backrest of the bed, before placing the TV remote near the blond's uninjured hand. She then proceeded to explain the emergency call buttons, to which, for once, the Uzumaki paid full attention.

"It's going to be a long stay, blondie," she said as she walked to the door, "And trust me, Sasuke is one of the best doctors in this hospital. Even Dr. Senju knows that. I'll see you around, ne."

Naruto's huff was met with the click of the door.

-xxx-

" _Don't_." was the only thing Tenten told the Uchiha, adding a pointed look for good measure, before she briskly walked away. She did not want to play nanny for two grown man-children who didn't have any self control, professionalism or manners when it came to each other. She had seen enough disasters to last a lifetime, and she _wasn't_ going to put up with another one.

Ebony eyes twinkled with amusement before he snapped the file shut and entered the room. Blue eyes regarded him with an even stare as soon as he set his foot in. Cool black eyes stared back, making the cerulean ones narrow in irritation.

" _Fight_ _me_."

The challenge was met with a raised eyebrow as the raven stared at his imbecilic patient for a full minute, before replying with a curt "No."

Sasuke wasn't going to lie. Hearing Naruto say that made him seriously consider it. He had heard the same words from the same lips thousands of times. And his reply was the same, every single time but one. And the result was the same, every single time but one. Funny how the one that turned out different was the one that he remembered most vividly. Every other fight somehow seemed to blur into one.

Naruto was about to yell at the doctor, but stopped in his tracks at the forlorn expression that settled on the raven's features.

"Dr. Uchiha?"

Sasuke looked up with a slightly startled expression, as he mentally kicked himself for spacing out again. It was getting really hard to focus on the present when his past with the blond was taking it all like the elephant in the room it was.

"Nothing, I was just meaning to ask where Dr. Senju is." he replied smoothly.

Naruto shot him a confused look, before slumping his shoulders.

"I guess she didn't tell you, huh? The old hag ditched me! She said she's got somewhere to be or whatever." he blond shrugged, visibly upset, before muttering, "And I thought she'd know better than to leave me alone here."

Oh, this was just great. Sasuke had been hoping to use her as a medium of communication, thereby minimizing his contact with the blond. Besides, he had a lot to discuss about Naruto's case that he was sure only another doctor would understand. And there was also a part of him that wanted to ask why Naruto seemed so… different, yet the same. She was his grandmother, so she should be knowing, right? He'd have to find a way to do that without rousing suspicion. The blond already seemed pretty wary of him.

"Hn… the hospital management is quite irresponsible to have left you without adult supervision." the raven smirked, easily dodging the pillow that was thrown his way. He was also surprised to learn that Naruto's vocabulary of colorful words had increased. Who would've thought?

"…shit-faced, duck-butt-haired ASSHOLE!"

Okay, not that impressive. Sasuke suppressed a chuckle as he sat on the chair beside the blond's bed, aggravating him further. As much as he found the situation amusing, he had to get down to business.

"How exactly did you get hurt?" the Uchiha's clipped tone cut through Naruto's curse-marathon. Blue eyes widened in surprise at the sudden change in the air, before Naruto relaxed into the mattress, dragging a tan hand down his face. He couldn't believe he was stuck playing doctor-patient with this crazy, emo guy who had way too many mood swings. Even the blond could tell that it wasn't _normal_. He mentally groaned. The better he cooperated, the sooner he could get out of this hell-hole.

"I got kicked by a horse." the blond deadpanned.

Sasuke nearly choked on air. He wasn't sure he heard him right. _Kicked by a horse_? Of all the answers he had expected, the was _not_ one of them. If Naruto didn't look like a whipped mess, Sasuke would have found the imagery hilarious. Ebony eyes shot the blond a "what the actual fuck" look, as the idiot burst out laughing, a tan hand pressed against his injured side as his shoulders quaked. It sounded just the way he remembered it. It felt so… _warm_. Warning bells went off in Sasuke's head but they were quick to be drowned by boyish laughter.

"Oh my god," he panted, gasping for air before bursting out laughing again. Sasuke could feel the corners of his lips tip up against his will. Tanned features lit up as mirth danced in cerulean eyes. Some things stay the same, Sasuke noted, before cringing. He wasn't supposed to be making _those_ observations.

"Y-your face! _Priceless_! I swear I-"

"Did you or did you not get kicked by a horse? And how the _fuck_ , is that a _sports_ injury?" Sasuke couldn't believe the utter _moronicness_ of the blond, and that wasn't even a real word!

"It's true. I take horse riding lessons for polo at Konoha Private School. Take, as in, I'm the instructor." Naruto clarified before Sasuke could get the question past his lips, "An this dumb kid kicked the horse's sides like "giddy up", you know, like in those movies and boy, she got pissed! She went crazy, though it was technically Konohamaru's fault… so I tried to grab him off the saddle, and I did. But then Cuddles kicked me and," Naruto paused to catch his breath, here I am. Konohamaru escaped with a scraped knee though, thankfully."

Sasuke stared at him for an uncomfortable amount of time, eyebrows knitted.

"Cuddles… you named a horse _Cuddles_." he whispered incredulously, earning an exasperated groan from the blond.

"You're missing the point, bastard!" Naruto hollered, his cheeks rapidly heating up, as the raven's smirk began to look increasingly predator-like. Cuddles was a perfectly generic pet name!

 _That's it,_ the blond thought dramatically, _this doctor was going to be the death of him_.

 **A/N: Coming up next: Sasuke finds out why Naruto won't recognize him. The boys get a little closer but not in the way you'd expect. Stay tuned!**

 **Reviews make me write faster ^.^ and don't forget to follow and favourite**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This chapter will not have much SNS goodness but it is important for the plot. A lot of things are explained.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I own a kickass poster of him though :D**

Sasuke was at his office again. The previous day had been hectic at the ER from a sudden influx of patients due to a riot at one of the city's biggest high schools. He couldn't believe that a bunch if almost adults could act so irresponsibly. He made sure to do his usual two rounds of his patients, though nothing really eventful had happened.

When he had visited Naruto in the morning, the blond ignored him in favor of watching a football match with way more enthusiasm than necessary. The second time, he was asleep. Sasuke assumed it was for the best. He didn't want to interact with Naruto before he could process what had happened. Not that he had time for it with all the idiots stuck in the ER with broken limbs and black eyes, most of them sober. In fact, he barely had any time to sleep. It took a lot of persuasion on Hinata's part and a threat to call Sakura, before Sasuke agreed to retire to his office for some rest. He didn't know the pale girl had in her, but he was too beat to protest.

It was four in the morning when he stirred. Ebony eyes slowly fluttered open as he felt the soft cushion against his face. That was odd. He remembered falling asleep at his table. He swiftly sat up straight, as the blanket slid off his shoulders. Someone else had been here, in his office, while he was asleep. He swept a glace across the room, stilling as he noticed a familiar, absolutely still silhouette staring out of the window.

"You're awake." A velvety voice cut into the air, as jet black eyes, much like his own threw him an indifferent glance, "You look like shit."

Sasuke bristled at the comment, throwing the other a withering glare before turning his face away. Half of him didn't want to deal with the other man. He was hurt and bitter and _angry_. But the other half of him was eager and curious. He was so tired of being kept in the dark. It was one of the things he hated about his family with all his heart. He was always the sheltered little brother who believed in the perfect family and played his part to keep up the image. He was sick of it.

"What do you want, Itachi?" he asked, not bothering to keep the tiredness out of his voice. Itachi turned to face him, white coat billowing as a gust of wind entered the window. Sasuke was annoyed to notice that his brother looked just like he always did, if not better. _Always fucking perfect_ , Sasuke thought resentfully.

"Can't I just come over and check on my only little brother once in a while? I just wanted to see how you're holding up." Itachi replied smoothly, his features impassive as always, as he turned his gaze to the window yet again.

Sasuke had been expecting him, but not so soon. But then again, Sasuke was the only family member Itachi was in speaking terms with. He didn't know if that made him feel better or worse. The brunet lowered his head in slight shame. He was an Uchiha. He wasn't supposed to allow the shitty circumstances he was stuck in to take over him. He hadn't been taking care of himself. He had simply drowned himself in work to escape the outside world. Hell, he had even been avoiding all the call he got. The only reason he bothered to keep his phone on was in case Sakura needed his help.

He wanted to ask Itachi why he had left, and why he had visited him at such an ungodly hour of all times. But he knew he would get no answers. One of the things Sasuke admired, and loathed about his brother was that he only did things when he felt like it, or at least, he made it seem so. Only Itachi Uchiha knew what was going on in his head. Sasuke let out a defeated sigh. As much as he appreciated his brother for checking up on him, he was still pissed off at him for putting him before the press, among other unfavorable situations. Sasuke stiffened as Itachi's eyes met his own, their expression a little soft.

"We'll talk about this when the time is right," was all he heard before the older Uchiha slipped out of the door, leaving a befuddled Sasuke blinking at the closed door.

"When the time is right?" Sasuke repeated, his voice barely above a whisper, "Why do you always have to be so damn _cryptic_ , Itachi…"

The raven stared at the door for a couple of minutes, deep in thought, mostly trying to let his sleep-muddled brain process the sudden encounter. A premonitory chill ran up his spine. Itachi clearly knew something. And he was hiding it. And as much as he knew the was going to be stuck in the dark in this matter for as long as Itachi decides, he wasn't going to just sit and do nothing about other matters.

Lithe pale fingers swiftly pressed the buttons on his office phone, putting it on speaker-mode, as the room softly resonated with the sound of its ringing

.

"Sasuke? What do you want?" he heard a sleepy mumble at the other end of the line. He almost felt a little guilty for waking his colleague up. He knew the other seldom slept. But he had more important matters to attend to. He'd make up for it later.

"I'm going to need you to take over my rounds for today. Hinata will bring you up to speed." Sasuke relayed in a clipped tone, as he changed his clothes. He heard an exasperated sigh, following by some shuffling.

"Fine. But know this, Uchiha. I'm not doing this out of some misguided sense of sympathy. I'm going to call in this favor in due time," a stern voice replied.

"Wouldn't want it any other way." Sasuke smirked, before hanging up. He was going to find out the truth, one way or the other. But first, he was going to go home and take a shower.

-xxx-

The morning sun gently kissed long ebony locks, giving them an ethereal glow, as the pale woman chewed on her lower lip, resisting the urge to succumb to her childhood nervous tic of twiddling her thumbs. Tender lavender eyes slowly raised to meet impassive turquoise ones.

"Um… A-are you sure?" she mumbled hesitantly, shuffling through the papers, "Dr. Uchiha d-didn't mention…"

Gaara glared at the petite woman down his nose. He didn't like that she was insinuating that he was taking unauthorized action. He was going to kill Sasuke slowly and painfully, and he was going to love every moment. The bloodlust must have been clear in his eyes, because the brunette took a step back with a squeak. He inwardly smirked.

"Dr. Uchiha must have been in a hurry, then." He replied in a monotone, "Now, I'd appreciate it if you'd come to my office and bring me up to speed."

Hinata had the grace to blush at the suggestion, before giving a quick nervous nod. Dr. Sabaku was a little scary, but she had heard great things about him. She just hoped that Sasuke would return soon, not that she was fond of the man in any way. She just wanted to deal with as less people at one time as possible. She quickly made her way to the nurses' station, to request Tenten for her report, before making her way to Gaara's office.

She was definitely going to lay out some ground rules when Dr. Uchiha returned. She wasn't very fond of surprised.

-xxx-

Sasuke stared at his phone screen, a slip of paper falling from between his fingers. He sat at the edge of his bed, clad only in his boxers, a pristine white towel draped over his midnight locks. The number was coded in. All he had to do was call. It almost felt surreal that he'd finally know the truth. The worst part was, he didn't even know if he deserved to.

He had spent so long not giving a damn about the blond's existence. And all of a sudden the moron was shoved into his life without a warning and didn't even _recognize_ him. The Naruto he knew, and could never really forget, wasn't the kind to be petty and pretend he didn't know a person. He did know that they bantered a lot like they did a long time ago. But that Naruto never really meant anything he said during their fights. This Naruto was keen on pushing him away, and he couldn't help but reflexively do whatever he knew would annoy the dobe. It was out of sheer habit and he couldn't help but feel pathetic about himself for it. He didn't want to acknowledge that the blond affected him that way. He couldn't believe it took just one meeting to bring all that he had worked for years to suppress to the surface. And he couldn't believe that Naruto showed no indication of the same. He wasn't sure he wanted him to.

But he was so tired of burying the past. He wanted to make peace with it. And this was his chance. It was his chance to prove Naruto wrong. It was his chance to apologize and get rid of the guilt eating away at him. He didn't by any means want to be Naruto's friend. He had already suffered under that title for way longer than he could handle. But he had grown up now. He wasn't the same angsty teen who believe in the ostrich ideology of avoiding a problem and pretending it didn't exist. He needed to take control of the situation before the situation took control of him. Itachi's visit was a wake-up call of sorts, he realized.

He abruptly tapped the screen, the ring going on for what felt like forever before an irritated voice spoke into the phone, "Tsunade Senju. Who is it?"

"Dr. Uchiha. I'm in charge of Naruto."

A sharp inhale was heard at the other end, "Yes, I remember. Did-did anything happen?"

"Nothing to worry about, Dr. Senju." He replied before taking in a deep breath. He was going to have to get to the point, and fast, "Naruto and I used to be… classmates. He doesn't seem to recognize me though."

The line went silent for a full minute before Tsunade sighed heavily, followed by what sounded like her taking a big chug of water.

"An old classmate, you say… Were you two pretty close?"

Sasuke knew that if she knew the truth, there was no way she'd divulge any information. A white lie never did any harm, did it?

"Yes, until I moved out of Japan, to the U.S," he lied smoothly. Well, it wasn't completely a lie either.

"Hmm… well then, maybe you can… never mind." more chugging noises followed, "I'll text you an address. Be there in an hour."

-xxx-

Sasuke stood in hotel lobby. It wasn't as posh as the ones he had stayed at, but it looked comfortable nonetheless. He walked over to the receptionist, a red haired woman in her twenties.

"Dr. Hatake, room 310?" he asked, pale fingers slowly drumming on the mahogany counter, adding a smile just for good measure, "Tell him I was sent by Dr. Senju."

The woman's blush rivalled the color of her hair as she nodding furiously, dialing the room's number, mumbling into the receiver.

"Ah…third floor, fifth room on th-the left, " she stuttered, taking her glasses off and tucking a lock of red hair behind her ear, before quickly adding as he turned to leave, "Have a nice day, sir."

Sasuke merely cocked his head in response, not bothering to turn around to look at her as he made his way to room 310.

-xxx-

"About time, bastar- oh!" Naruto yelled as he heard the door of room 7 slowly ease open, stopping in his tracks as he caught a flash of red and white. Naruto dumbly gaped at the other as turquoise orbs scanned the room. The room was brightly lit, and television was mutely playing an episode of SpongeBob Squarepants. Finally, Naruto caught his gaze.

"I'm Dr. Sabaku. I'll be in change of you today." Gaara introduced himself.

A sheepish grin spread across the blond's cheeks and a tan hand nervously ruffled the sunshine locks at back of his neck.

"I'm sorry about that… heh. I thought you were Uchiha… Why isn't he here anyway?"

Gaara merely shrugged. He wasn't one for asking questions. He knew that the more he asked, the more he would be asked. And if Gaara loved anything, it was his privacy.

Tan features lit up, cerulean eyes sparkling as he leaned forward, his voice hopeful, "Does that mean he won't be in charge of me any more?"

He couldn't believe his luck! Naruto was glad that he didn't have to see the Uchiha any more. As much as he'd grudgingly admit that bickering with him was entertaining, his pompous attitude got on his nerves. Naruto was way too down to earth (even if he did jokingly boast a lot), to put up with arrogance. Now if only he could win over Dr. Sabaku and make him call for his early release…

"No, he'll probably be back in a day or two, tops." Gaara deadpanned as he took a seat, not in the least affected by Naruto's kicked-puppy expression. So much for getting back his freedom.

Gaara resisted the urge to snicker as the blond slumped his shoulders and angry looked up as if to curse fate. Dr. Uchiha was very professional, as far as he knew and he had no idea why the blond seemed so devastated by the thought of having to see him again. Instead, the redhead settled for raising an invisible eyebrow and opening his file. He had to get this over with soon, and check on his careless idiot of a brother. As if he didn't have to endure his presence during visitation hours.

-xxx-

Pale knuckles knocked the door of room 310, feet tapping impatiently as he waited for the door to open. One minute. Two minutes. Another knock. Another minute. Sasuke growled in frustration. He knew the man was inside. He had picked up the phone for fuck's sake. Just as he was about to call it quits and leave, the door creaked open, revealing a man in a loose grey t-shirt and navy blue sweat pants. He couldn't have been older than thirty, from what he could tell by the man's physique, even though his hair was completely grey. The man's mouth was covered with a dark blue mask, which elongated on one side to cover an eye.

"Ma… sorry for being late. I guess I just got lost on the way." the man shrugged, motioning Sasuke to follow him into the room. Sasuke's eye twitched at the pathetic explanation., as he followed the man in.

"I can see why." Sasuke commented dryly. The suite was literally just one big room with a bed in one corner, the kitchenette at another and a couch, armchair, TV and table at the center, all tastefully decorated, though.

The man chuckled, before stretching out his hand, "I'm Dr. Hatake. But you can call me Kakashi. Tsunade told me you'd come."

Sasuke shook his hand firmly, "Uchiha Sasuke."

"I know," Kakashi replied, before picking up the erotica novels scattered in the couch and arranging them in a neat pile on the table, "Sit."

Sasuke watched the man lazily lower himself into the armchair. He had no idea how this man had anything worth saying to him. He seemed so unprofessional and careless, it got on his nerves and he could only hope he wouldn't strangle the Hatake by the time he was done with him.

"What happened to Uzumaki Naruto?" he asked bluntly, not one to beat around the bush.

"We'll get to that later, ne? How about I get you something to drink?" Kakashi waved him off as Sasuke shot him a withering glare, "I'll take that as a no."

Kakashi threw him a contemplative gaze before picking up his laptop from the table.

"Tsunade told me you were an old classmate of his. High school, I presume," Sasuke nodded as Kakashi went on, "I'm only agreeing to divulge such personal information because she permitted me to. She expect that you could be of help with this… case. Not as a doctor, though."

Sasuke didn't understand what the man meant, but he didn't care. He was so close to learning he truth that he almost didn't want to. He could barely pay attention to Kakashi's rambling as he sat at the edge of his seat, fingers gripping the couch with brutal force.

"Uzumaki Naruto. It's been years since I've heard that name, you know," Kakashi mused, his eye not leaving the laptop screen as he typed furiously, "But then again, everyone thinks he just went overseas. You're lucky you came here today, Sasuke, because a day later, and I'd have been back in Japan. Though I wonder why after all this time… There, found it!"

Kakashi skimmed through the scanned copies of his notes, before snapping his laptop shut. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him. His patience was wearing thin.

"Naruto got into an accident when he was eighteen. He suffered brain trauma, specifically to the hippocampus and median temporal lobes. It resulted in him getting Retrograde Amnesia, also known as long term memory loss." Kakashi stated solemnly, before turning to the Uchiha with a blank look on his face, "Naruto doesn't remember anything that happened between the age of six and eighteen."

Sasuke didn't know why he was so surprised, why the news felt like a tidal wave crashing over him. He knew that he was going to hear something similar to this. But he couldn't help but hate how his entire existence had been wiped out from Naruto's memories. It almost made him feel jealous. He had spend years trying to forget him, and he failed. And that moron gets to forget him without even trying. A part of Sasuke wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. But that part was overpowered by another part of him that told him that this was his chance to truly forget the blond. The only thing that held him back was the guilt that he had hurt Naruto. But if Naruto didn't remember anything…

"Naruto's godfather claims that Naruto was never the same after the accident. It took years of therapy to make him a man that could survive in this world. He had been through a lot. Tsunade and I were the ones working on his case, because Naruto's godfather, Jiraya, and Tsunade were good friends. We had tried everything to make him remember. We tried to take him to places he could have frequented, we showed him pictures of people he could have known… nothing worked though, obviously. Probably because we didn't really know much about him. He lived alone because Jiraya was always travelling, and he didn't maintain any journals either. He had only been in his university for a month, so nobody knew him well enough. And even if we did subject him to every trigger, there was no guarantee that we could… It was a frustrating situation." Kakashi sighed, tiredly rubbing his eyes, "Eventually Tsunade decided to move to the states with Naruto on Jiraya's request, while he continues to travel the world."

"Thank you," he heard Sasuke shakily mumble, before he heard swish followed by a loud click, lazily opening his eye, only to note with a sigh that he was alone in his room.

 **A/N: Sorry if this chapter was so slow but it was necessary. I'll make it up in the next chapter! Also, are you guys up for some really cute GaaHina or not?**

 **Also, retrograde amnesia can only be cured by a random intangible trigger that triggers all the past memories at once. Kudos to Shia Naru for** _ **almost**_ **guessing it right!**

 **Reviews and favorites make me write faster 3 ;)**

 **See you next time!**


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